SNK : The Next Generation (OC)
by AnimeTales600
Summary: DISCLAIMER : Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) does NOT belong to me and I do not claim it. AUTHOR'S NOTES : This is an ORIGINAL CHARACTER fanfiction. The story is set a generation after the happenings in Shingeki no Kyojin, meaning OCs and actual characters alike are the focus of the story. (I worked on this with another user: ColtondaZombie. You can find him on fanfiction.)
1. Chapter 1

Cold rain pours down from the dark thundering clouds above. Flashes of lightning mixed with booms of thunder cut off the soft pit pat of water droplets hitting the plant life of the forest. A single deer darts through the underbrush, away from an unknown predator.  
Out of the violently shaking underbrush comes a man on horseback. He's traveling at top speed, his green cape soaked with rainwater. His closely cropped black hair is drenched, forming clumps of spikes on his head. He directs his horse to follow an open path, out of the woods and into a large field. What he is fleeing from soon becomes apparent. Out of the woods, standing ten meters high, comes a titan. A smile is stretched wide across its deformed face. It's fast- so fast that not even the man can outrun it on his horse. It leaps at him, and even though it misses, the fall creates a shock within the ground and the man, too, falls. He tries to stand, coughing, only to see the titan crouched before him. It grabs him before he can react and holds him up to its gaping mouth, still with that menacing grin. The man struggles to get free. "NO! LET ME GO!" The man screams, but of course he knows it's in vain. The titan places the screaming man inside its mouth and bites down.  
Once again, the forest is silent, except for the thundering of the clouds above, and the rain falling down, hard.

Cadet Aleo Fletcher wakes with a start, panting heavily. He runs his hand through his hair, and when he pulls it away, it's soaked in sweat. He takes a deep breath and lies back down in his bunk, staring at the ceiling. This is the third night in a row he's had that dream. It's always the same, and he can't figure out what's causing them. The titans are far away from the walls, save for a few stragglers in places hard for humanity to currently reach. And while he's inside wall Sina, he's protected by the other walls- Rosa, Maria, and Eliza.  
Humanity has several other outposts spread around the area, and there were more humans left than originally thought. They encountered a large group that lived underground, in a system of tunnels and mines left over from before the titans first appeared, which they simply built upon over time. Similarly, in the large mountain range nearly three hundred miles east, they encountered a group of humans that fended off Titans exclusively with bows, arrows, and muskets. Turns out a few arrows or musket balls fired down a Titan's throat has the same result as two hard steel swords, because the weak spot, evidently, is closer to the inside of their throat than their neck. An arrow or bullet negates the need to slice open the entire neck. With the supplies from those underground and the skilled archers and musketeers, they wiped out most of the titans within four hundred miles of the walls, and humanity is still on the offensive. Each day, there are fewer and fewer titans on the western continent. The eastern continent will take some time to get to and clear, given they need to build ships to transport them over the large seas, and that seems like nothing but a pipe dream to Aleo.  
Aleo's father, a man named Joshua Fletcher, helped contribute to humanity's comeback, along with his father's sister, Rose, and the legendary Lance Corporal Levi. His father died in his sleep when Aleo was sixteen, a peaceful and happy man. His mother died some months later, in a similar way. Aleo had already graduated from the excruciating training, and is continuing his father's legacy by joining the Scouting Legion. He's due to leave the walls in a week's time, and he is so anxious he probably could barely sleep, if the nightmares hadn't already insured that.  
Restless, he climbs up out of bed and slips on his clothes. It's close enough to dawn that he has no reason to go back to sleep. He walks out onto the street, which is paved with cobblestone, watching as moths fly around a street lamp. After the titans were no longer a huge looming threat, humanity began to advance its technology. Now, electricity is becoming slightly more common, used to power lights, and even strange machines called heaters. Cannons have been converted to breach loading mechanisms using cased shells, instead of muzzleloaders firing lead balls, and firearms have advanced significantly. Gone are the smoothbore muskets of his father's time, which have been replaced by bolt action rifles and revolving chamber pistols.  
Interestingly, even with the newfound way to kill the titans revealed, maneuver gear still has its place. Few are brave enough to let a titan grab them and then fire a pistol into their throat, or wait in a tree with a bow or rifle. AS such, many soldiers are still trained to use their maneuver gear. It's not as energy efficient, but it gets the job done.  
Aleo jogs down the street, passing by several members of the Military Police as he does. They don't see him- don't even give him a second's notice. He takes a deep breath of the cool predawn air to refresh his body and calm his nerves. Something catches his attention, a potent scent coming from a building around the corner. Its windows are bright- whoever's inside is already up. His pupils dilate in the darkness. Coffee. Sweet, beloved coffee, an addiction his father passed down to him. Memories rushed back to Aleo; when his mother, Christa, wasn't around, his father would give him coffee mixed with milk. He can't go a day without it now, or else he gets withdrawal symptoms.  
Aleo, not caring that he looks like he just got out of bed (which he did), walks inside the coffee shop. A little bell over the door rings when he enters, and the shopkeeper looks up and smiles. Albert Sanchez, a middle aged man with balding grey hair. "Ah, Aleo. Early as always. I'll take it you want the usual?" Aleo shakes his head.  
"Nah, give me the strongest espresso you got," he says, sitting down in a chair by a table. It squeaks under his weight, despite him being a little thin.  
Albert looks surprised, but shrugs. "Alright, one quintuple espresso coming up."  
A few minutes later he returns with a small mug of coffee, steaming. It's foamy, a mix of white and brown swirls on the top. Aleo could smell it being made in the back. The familiar smell tempts him senses, and causes him to salivate. He thanks Albert and sips the coffee. The bitter taste and sudden burst of caffeine help to waken his sleep deprived brain.  
"So," Albert says, back behind the counter, "I hear you're going beyond the walls soon. Going to slay some titans, eh?"  
Aleo only shrugs. "Maybe. I know for a fact that we're trying to clear new routes for the upcoming war. But I'm not so sure that I'm going to kill a titan." He has a flashback of his nightmare from last night. He mumbles under his breath, "Or If I'll be able to. I don't want to get close to one of those things."  
"Well, don't they give you a gun for if you get grabbed by one?" Albert asks.  
"Well, yeah, but if the titan has your arms pinned, you're kinda screwed anyway. And besides, you'd need to fire directly into the back of their throat. Probably more than once. It's not like our soldiers have explosive arrows, unlike those guys in the mountains," Aleo says, finishing his cup of coffee.  
He's about to ask for another when the bell above the door rings again. He looks over his shoulder and sees a short man, around his age. His long black hair falls over his ears and eyebrows. His face is expressionless, and he only glances at Aleo before walking up to Albert. "One cup of coffee, to go," he says, his tone gruff and emotionless.  
"What's the hurry, Zack? It's not like you've got anywhere to be at this hour." says Aleo, walking up to the man.  
Zachariah glares at Aleo coldly, but like always, Aleo is unable to tell just what he's thinking. "What do you want, brat?" He says darkly.  
Joshua rolls his eyes. "Dude, lighten up, would you? I'm just messing with you."  
"Call me dude one more time," Zachariah growls, "and I'll make it where you can't even speak anymore."  
Albert returns with the coffee. Zachariah takes it and places a silver coin on the counter. Nodding at Albert, he quickly leaves.  
"That kid's pretty scary," Albert comments, wiping the bar surface absentmindedly.  
"I know. And this seems to be one of his good days. Believe me, you want to be far away from _him_ on his bad days," Aleo says, paying for his coffee as well.  
"I thought he was your cousin?" Albert asks.  
"Yeah. Levi's kid to the bone. My aunt had weird taste."  
"You two are so different, it seems impossible for you two to be family," the shopkeeper says.  
Aleo nods. "Well, it seemed impossible for people to be able to turn into titan, but evidently some can." He looks at the clock on the wall. 6:15 a.m. "Shit, I gotta go to the city center for the annual stress test. I'll see you around, Bert."  
He's off, walking quickly back out onto the street. It's a bit lighter outside now. The sun peaks over the walls and a few extra people mill about in the streets. Aleo definitely isn't a morning person, but the scenery inside the walls is something worth waking up for. A few villagers have began setting up wooden carts to sell their goods. Birds chirp in the trees planted around the city, and wispy clouds are beginning to form in the sky.  
At the city center, in a large open plain of concrete, is an obstacle course. It's used to judge each new Scouting Legion recruit's strength, and the results tell the commanders where the soldier needs to be positioned when they head to the front lines. Typically, they line up near midday to do the test, but it's open to anyone who comes earlier.  
Aleo, swallowing his nagging nervousness, walks up to an NCO. "Sir?" The officer turns to face him. Aleo salutes quickly. "Uh, Cadet Fletcher, requesting permission to take the stress test, sir."  
The officer looks Aleo over, then points to the obstacle course with his pen. "Go on, then."  
Aleo jogs over to another officer holding a stopwatch, sitting comfortably in a chair next to a white painted line that reads "start". Aleo sighs and stands at the line. The officer speaks to him. "Ready," Aleo crouches, and suddenly his nervousness returns to him. "Set," What if he's placed at the very front? What if he doesn't make the cut at all? The officer's voice seems to boom in the courtyard. "Go!"  
Aleo, not having enough time to will away his doubts, starts by running down the lane. Soon he's jumping across large gaps, swinging across ropes, crawling under a set of barbed wire, climbing up and over a ten meter high wall. When he reaches the end, he thinks it's over, but he's told to complete thirty push-ups and forty sit-ups, all within ten minutes.  
He finishes his last sit-up just as the ringer on the watch goes off. Aleo raises himself up and dusts himself off. The two officers mumble something to each other. The one with the pen and clipboard scribbles something down, then addresses Aleo. "Cadet, this way please."  
Aleo follows the officer into a small, red brick building. It's empty for the most part, save for a table and chairs. As he turns his head, he sees a portrait of Captain Levi Rivaille, reminding Aleo just how famous his Uncle was. Beside the painting is a list hanging by a rope on the wall. It's attached to a pen.  
The officer hands him the pen. "With your time, you can either be placed on one of the flanks or the rearguard. Take your pick and sign your name."  
Aleo thanks him, and takes the pen from him. Looking at the list, Aleo realizes both sections are empty, so he's completely free to chose.  
He signs his name in cursive underneath the section titled "Right Flank." He hands the pen back to the officer, who tells him to head back to his assigned quarters. Outside, several cadets have lined up to take the stress test. One of the officers is yelling at a rather plump solider, who apparently failed to make the ten minute mark.  
Aleo, surveying the scene, rolls his eyes as he sees Zachariah. Of course, he's swinging along through the ropes with ease. As expected of the legend's son. "Bastard," he mumbles, knowing that with his time he will be able to chose any position in the battalion.  
Aleo heads back home, and, sitting down on the plush couch given to his father, he removes his boots and stretches. Then, seeing the pictures of his parents on the mantle, he sighs. He walks over to it, taking it in his hand and smiling. He begins to mutter to himself. "Hey, guys. Guess what, I made it. I'm finally part of the Survey Corps. I hope you're proud of me up there. Or wherever."  
He sets the picture down and sighs. Suddenly, there's a knock at his door. Crossing the wooden floor, he opens it, expecting one of his superior officers. Instead, he's greeted by a short girl with light brown hair, falling a little past her shoulders. Her pale green eyes look up expectantly at him.  
"Oh. Hi, Cara," he says.  
"Oh? That's all you've got to say?" She says in mock hurt.  
Josh smirks. "Whatever. How's it going?" Aleo asks, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms. He was always happy to see Cara.  
"Ah, alright, I guess. I'm on my way to take the stress test. Decided to come get you. Are you gonna take it today?"  
"Already have. I woke up early, decided what the hell," Aleo says. "I saw Zack at the coffee shop this morning."  
Cara's eyes brighten a bit at the mentioning of Zachariah. "And how is he?"  
"Pissy, as usual. But I think he's having one of his better days. Maybe you'll run into him while you're at the stress test," Aleo says. "Anyways, you may want to get there before the line gets too long. Nobody likes standing in the sun for five hours."  
Nodding, she starts to turn. "Alright, I'll see you around then. Don't spend all day fapping, or you'll miss afternoon formation," Cara says.  
Josh shakes his head and laughs. "I'll try not to."  
She smacks him playfully before taking off, meeting with a few other soldiers on the other side of the street. Josh shuts the door and walks back upstairs to his room. "Now, where did I put those tissues?"


	2. Chapter 2

Aleo smacks at his neck at a mosquito in irritation. One of the soldiers behind him whispers sharply, "Quit moving at attention!"  
"Who's idea was it to have us stand out here for an hour, anyway?" Aleo mumbles under his breath sourly. If there's one thing he hates more than missing out on sleep, it's standing at attention.  
As he glances to his right, two NCOs are taking their sweet time in walking over to his group of soldiers. Aleo remembers to keep his military bearings and stares straight ahead. As the two officers near him, he realizes there's also another man between them. Aleo mentally gasps and starts to sweat a little- more than he already has been.  
The battalion commander is different from the one they were assigned while part of the Trainee Corps. This new officer is older, with thin white hair cut nearly down to the scalp. His face is tan and wrinkled, with a long, jagged scar running from his lip to left ear, evidence of a long career in the Survey Corps. His steel grey eyes are expressionless. The only thing detectable in them is an apparent malice for the new recruits; those who will not face combat as deadly as he had to; those with the benefits of firearms and explosives.  
"See, what did I tell you sir?" says one of the commanders from the first half of the battalion- Alpha company, if Aleo recalled. "Only the best are here today." Aleo feels a rush a pride at the words, and stands taller than his average height- a surprising 5'11".  
The battalion commander fixes his eyes on Bravo company, specifically Aleo's squad. He points at Aleo with a wrinkled finger and mumbles something to the commander of Bravo company. Aleo strains to hear what he's saying, but it's in vain- he can't hear anything and it's killing him. The Bravo company commander nods, not taking his eyes off of Aleo. He can feel the commanders piercing glare from across the courtyard.  
The company commanders take their positions in front of their respective companies while the Battalion commander saunters through the rows of soldiers. Suddenly, he comes to a halt in front of Aleo, then looks him dead in the eyes. "What's your name, soldier?"  
Aleo salutes the officer immediately, and tries to muster the most confident voice he can. "Aleo Fletcher, sir!" His attempt goes without a reward- he stuttered, making him all the more nervous.  
To his surprise, though, the Battalion commander doesn't show any signs of anger or disappointment. "Meet me in Battalion HQ after formation, Cadet Fletcher," he says. His voice is deep and gruff, and it causes Aleo to jump slightly.  
"Yes sir!" Aleo says, saluting once more. The officer looks him over and nods, then walks on down the rows, pausing in front of several other soldiers from both Alpha and Bravo company to look them over.  
Aleo is the only one who is asked any questions or ordered to see him after formation. This causes a feeling of unease inside of him. What had he done to earn the attention of the NCOs? Had he screwed up an earlier order and now it was coming back to bite him?  
'_Crap, did I leave the window open this morning?_' He thinks, remembering earlier. _'Oh god, I bet I did. I am so dead_.'  
The Battalion commander crosses the courtyard and speaks briefly to the two company commanders from before. "Give the announcements, then dismiss your companies." He stands there for a moment while the commander salute him, then disappears into the red brick building from before  
"What we have here," starts the commander of Alpha company, definitely the most laid back of the NCOs, "is tomorrow morning's rifle training, so if any of you need to work on your marksmanship, I'd suggest you show up. Also, we've got a report from the front lines..."  
The middle-aged man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded peice of white paper. Unfolding it, he clears his throat and begins to read.  
"To Scouting Legion, First Brigade, Battalions 1 and 4. Major casualties are taking place on the western front. An abnormally large group of titans has been spotted nearly five hundred miles northwest of where we're stationed. Battle logs state that there are over three hundred, and many appear to be aberrant. Most of them posses the ability to harden their flesh, making firearm and cannon rounds useless unless fired into their throats or used in large numbers simultaneously. This actually worked for the first three days, but now we're out of ammunition and perishables, and have no means of retreat. We're holed up in a forest of tall trees, and the only person to escape without being devoured is the one cadet who delivered this message. We're in desperate need of shells, rations, and reinforcements. We request assistance immediately."  
He folds the paper back up and places it in his coat pocket. The mood is now grim- everyone's faces are sullen. An eerie quiet settles over the cadets before the commander starts to speak again, bringing an odd quality to the already out-of-place air. "In short, we're moving out to bring these guys supplies in two days. Hopefully, we'll be able to help them fight off these titans." The commander stops, and he seems like he wants to say something. The cadets watch him as he gulps and looks out at them.  
"I'd advise you spend as much time with your families as possible, because many of you will not be returning." After letting the statement settle in, he turns to the commander of Bravo company and they salute each other with bleak faces. The Bravo company commander turns to the battalion and dismisses the group.  
The soldiers fall out of ranks, some staying around mumbling quietly in small groups about the upcoming mission. Others rush off to try and catch the ferries, in hope they'll be able to visit family in the outer walls.  
Aleo, still nervous about what the Battalion commander wants to see him for, quickly strides over to the red brick building. When he twists the doorknob, he realizes that his hands are shaking. He quickly grabs his hand and sighs deeply to calm his nerves. He then opens the door, walking inside the aged building.  
He crosses the wooden floor slowly and enters the room where he signed up for his position in the mobilized task force. Looking around, he notices the Battalion commander is sitting at the table from before, one leg resting over the other. He'sreading a letter.  
Aleo clears his throat nervously, not sure whether to interrupt him or not. "Sir, you wanted to see me?" His voice has regained its usual deepness, to Aleo's relief.  
The Battalion officer doesn't take his eyes off of the letter. Instead, he holds up a finger, instructing Aleo to be quiet. He folds up the piece of paper and sets it on the table a few moments later.  
Motioning to the wooden chair across from him with his hand, he speaks with the same gruff voice. "Sit down, soldier." Aleo does as he is told, anxiously.  
The officer clears his throat and begins to speak again. "Due to your high scores on all your exams and practice runs, the board has seen fit to promote you from Private First Class to Corporal." He retrieves a pin with two tresses from his coat pocket and hands it to Aleo. "This means you'll lead 1st Battalion to the combat zone, where you will deliver the necessary supplies and assist those pinned in the forest in their attack. Understood?" Aleo nods slowly, trying to even comprehend his words.  
The commander smirks at him, and adds, "I would do it myself, rather than let an incompetent recruit such as you handle such a task, but I am too worn out to handle such a fight. As for your company commanders, well, there's a reason why they're called non-commissioned officers." Aleo suddenly has a new view of the Battalion officer. He had no idea he could be so… sassy. "So, as of this moment," he continues, "you're the one most cut out for the job."  
Aleo stares blankly at the delicate pin in his hand. "Thank you, sir," he stutters, completely dumbfounded at his promotion.  
The commander only nods, smiling as if it's the most simple thing in the world. "One last thing, Corporal," he adds coldly, "Being the leader of the group, you will be assigned a position at the very front of the task force."  
In the time frame of a second, Aleo's mood changes from upbeat to downright dismal. His excitement has been replaced once again by fear and anxiety. But he doesn't let it show. He doesn't have a choice in front of his commanding officer. Instead, he stands from his chair, the pin gripped tightly in his right hand.  
"You are dismissed," says the Battalion commander. Josh turns on his heel and hurriedly exits the building.  
Outside, the sky had gone from slightly cloudy to completely overcast. Aleo depresses himself further by imagining it resembles the future of the battalion. He sighs rather loudly and begins to cross the courtyard, wanting to lie down in his bed at home and never wake up.  
The sound of light footsteps comes from behind him. Aleo looks over his shoulder and sees a familiar figure up to him, with green eyes and brown hair. "Hey, what did the commander want you for?" Cara stops grinning, and, seeing Aleo's grim expression, slows to a walk. "Did you leave the window open again or something? I _TOLD_ you someone would report you." She makes a 'tsk-tsk' sound between her teeth and waggles her finger, secretly hoping to get him to stop frowning.  
Under normal circumstances, this would have made Aleo crack up, but his expression remains unchanged. Now Cara knows something is seriously wrong. "So, what _did_ he want to see you for?" she asks again cautiously.  
Aleo opens his mouth, but pauses. He clears his throat and dodges her gaze. "I was promoted to Corporal," he admits.  
Cara's face is hard to read- it's mostly confusion, but does he see a bit of jealousy? "Then why the long face, silly? You should be happy an idiot like you was promoted to begin with! You have power, now, right?"  
Aleo sighs in response. "I'm just conflicted because I'm going to be leading the battalion on the supply run. And let's face it Cara," He looks up at her, his blue eyes cold. "I'm not cut out for leadership. You know that." He sits down on the stone ledge of the fountain in the square and rests his forehead in his hands. "People are going to die because of me. Am I ready to handle that kind of responsibility? What should-"  
He's is cut off by a powerful slap to the face, courtesy of Cara. Cradling his stinging face, can feel the imprint left by her hand forming. "What the hell was that for?" He demands, now angry.  
Cara grabs him by the collar and forces him to stand up, despite her being at least a foot shorter than him. "Do NOT say that people are going to die because of you! Why would the NCOs have picked you if they though you would get us all killed? You may not think you're a leader, but obviously the commander does! Now stop being a little bitch," she pauses to shove him back a little, jostling the pin on his chest. "and be ready to lead the Battalion in two days."  
Aleo glares at her, but more out of embarrassment than anger. "Fine, whatever!" He turns and strides away without saying another word.  
Cara watches him saunter off and sighs. She bosses him around sometimes, sure, but deep down… "You big idiot..."  
Meanwhile, Aleo is speed-walking though the streets. A few soldiers stop him and ask if he wants to go out drinking with them, but he turns down the offer. The last thing he needs is to get wasted.  
Rain begins to slowly drizzle down from the grey, depressing clouds. He pulls up the hood on his head in an attempt to keep dry, but it's in vain as the rain begins to pour down harder and harder. Anyone wandering the streets quickly take cover in their houses or shops. By this point, Aleo's coat is soaked, and he's given up any chance of trying to stay dry.  
By the time he's made it home, he's soaked and depressed to the core. He unlocks the door, enters his house, and shuts it tight behind him. As he walks over to the mantle, his boots make loud squeaking noises each time they come in contact with the hardwood floors.  
He picks up the picture of his parents and states at it for a while. "At least...I'll be with you guys soon..." Aleo whispers.  
Tears have begin to spill out from the corners of his eyes, leaving little trails on his cheeks and falling to the ground. He places the picture back down with unusual care, and walks up to his bedroom absentmindedly. Aleo's mind has gone blank. He tosses his soaked coat and boots onto the carpeted floor and hops into bed, trying to block out thoughts of the days ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

Today is the day. Aleo sits proud on his horse before the gates. After two days to think it over, he tried to make himself believe everything would be fine, but now all his doubts came rushing back to him as he gazes up at the huge gate of wall Eliza. A soldier perched on the top of the wall calls down below, "_Open the gates!_"  
With a loud, metallic groan, the pulleys and chains begin to hoist up the five-ton slab of marble and concrete. All other noises are blocked out by the sound of stone scraping against stone. Aleo wants to cover his ears, but as a corporal, he knows that would be unacceptable.  
Cara sits behind him, to his right, and Zachariah to the left of him. Being privates, they have to accompany the corporal anywhere for protection. Aleo takes a quick glance behind him to look at the troops- they are all equipped with maneuver gear and high powered rifles with hollow point ammunition.. Hopefully, they won't need them, but Aleo can't shake the feeling that they will. Many soldiers are inside wagons, set to guard the supplies they will be carrying over five hundred miles across open territory and a war zone. Most of them, though, are mounted on horses.  
Surrounding the supplies, the entire Battalion makes a star shape. There are four designated groups for the soldiers. Each group has five soldiers equipped with flare guns and maneuver gear. They will serve to signal everyone else should the occasional titan wander near the group. Aleo reaches down absentmindedly and pats his flare gun, which is strapped to his belt. Many canisters are also hidden there. He mentally runs through the list of colored flares, reminding himself. Red, titan spotted. Black, aberrant spotted. Purple, emergency. Green, change direction. Yellow, terminate mission. And lastly, blue. Retreat. Aleo hopes he won't have to use the last flare as he clears his throat to give his command.  
The stone gate grinds to a halt high above them. "_Battalion, move out_!"  
Aleo and the rest of the battalion surge through the arch of the massive gate. The carts go through last. When they're all on the other side, they fall back into star formation and head out.  
The sky is pristine and blue. As Aleo gazes up at it, he decides he hasn't ever seen the sky from this vantage point before. It stretches forever, until the grassy horizon meets it in the distance. Birds chirp, something that isn't that common inside the walls. They dart between the trees, which are losing their browned leaves. A chilling gust of wind blows, making the hair on the back of Aleo's neck stand on end. He shivers despite his uniform jacket, which isn't as warm as he'd like it to be. '_Great_,' he thinks bitterly. '_Winter is coming, right when they send us off to fight. At least it isn't raining._'  
Cara falls in beside him as the other soldiers spread far away, still retaining the star formation. "Where is that forest, anyway?"  
Aleo glares at her, still upset about being slapped a few days ago, but points off to the west anyway. "A while that way."  
"Oh, lose the attitude," she scolds him. "You know you needed that slap."  
He only blinks, a bit surprised she could know exactly what he was thinking. "Sorry, I guess you're right."  
"Of course I'm right, stupid," Cara says, grinning.  
"Look, I'm not in the mood to talk right now," Aleo sighs, glancing back at her. "Can we continue this conversation later?" Something in his voice, an unusually calm and steady tone, lets her know she should give him some space. Cara nods and falls back behind him, allowing him to be alone with his thoughts.  
'_Damn, why did it have to me, of all people? They should have picked Zachariah. At least he knows how to give orders_.' Aleo grits his teeth as bitter thoughts continue to cross his mind, despite his mental struggle to keep them out. He glances back at the rows of soldiers behind him. '_How many of us are going to come back alive_?'

—

It's starting to reach dusk. The battalion has traveled eighty miles across open land. Not once did any of Aleo's groups encounter a titan, which helped placate Aleo's flustered mind.  
As soon as the sun had fallen below the horizon, Aleo ordered the battalion to halt and break camp. Within an hour, tents were set up, small fires were started, and food for the whole battalion was prepared. Many soldiers were drinking their limited store of alcohol, joking around, and generally having a good time.  
Aleo, however, was sitting in his tent, scribbling down words onto a notepad while lying on his cot.

_Date: October 15th, 955 _

_ We've broken camp for the night. Many of the soldiers are living it up out by the fires. I don't have the heart to tell them to quit and save the whiskey. Many may not ever taste it again. After all, none of them know what we're heading into, including me, regrettably.  
Despite my best efforts, I find myself thinking often about which of us will return. Naturally, it's not likely I will. Cara can probably make it back alive. She's strong, and it seems like she's never afraid of anything. If one of us were to die, I'd prefer it to be me. It's not like she needs me, and she's actually good for something. Zachariah has a good chance of survival, too. I recall vaguely hearing something about him killing a titan sometime when he was younger. If it's true, that's definitely grounds for respect.  
I can't seem to shut my mind off. Perhaps I'll get a drink after all._

~_Aleo Fletcher _

Putting down his pencil, he hears someone clear their throat from just outside the tent. "Corporal Fletcher?"  
Aleo rises, and, brushing away the flap of the tent, meets eyes with the soldier. A private, fresh from the trainee corps. The soldier salutes him, and Aleo gives him a small nod, still not used to being saluted. "What is it, cadet?"  
The soldier coughs, obviously uncomfortable talking so someone of a higher standing alone. "Private Cara asked me to get you." After pausing, he adds, "She said you shouldn't be cooped up in your tent all night."  
"Did she now?" Aleo asks, raising his eyebrows.  
"As a matter of fact, I did," Cara calls out, her slim figure approaching the two boys. She nods at the cadet, dismissing him. He leaves, but not without throwing a few unsure looks back at the two. His built figure gradually becomes a shadow as he nears the small fire in the center of camp.  
She faces Aleo, crossing her arms and leaning against one of the support beams from Aleo's tent. "You know, if you don't get something to eat now, you're not going to have the energy to lead us tomorrow…" she tilts her head to the side, grinning, and adds, "…Mr. Corporal."  
"I'm not hungry," Aleo defends, lacking any sort of emotion in his voice.  
"Whatever," Cara shrugs and raises her eyebrows at him. "But at least come talk a little while. I think you're making everyone nervous about the mission with how you've been acting."  
"Maybe I'm acting this way for a reason." Aleo spits suddenly.  
Cara narrows her eyes, raising her hand up to a striking position by her ear. "Do you want another slap?"  
Pathetically, Aleo flinches. "No..." He lowers his gaze to look at her boots instead of those accusing green eyes.  
"Then get your butt over there and be social," Cara commands, pointing to the fire and resting her hand on her hip. Aleo begrudgingly complies and walks into the middle of camp. He's not really sure why he lets a girl a foot shorter than him boss him around, but it just feels right, somehow. Several solders notice their whipped leader and whisper amongst themselves. An icy glare from him quickly silences them.  
Looking around for a place to "be social", he notices Zachariah sitting by his own little fire. He's in a reclusive position- knees pulled to his chest, resting his arms and chin on them. His dark eyes watch the burning fire intently, and Aleo cans see its reflection in them.  
Aleo crosses through the ankle high grasses over to him. Zachariah glares at Aleo when he sits down across from him. Changing his position to seem less like a little kid, he stares at him blankly. "What do you want?" He's now sitting cross-legged, and his calves bulge from his knee-high boots, making Aleo a little more than jealous.  
"Cara kicked me out of my own tent and told me to be social," Aleo explains simply. Zachariah scoffs, muttering something under his breath. That is the extent of any conversation the two would have if Cara didn't sit in between them.  
"You know this isn't what I meant when I said 'be social'," She says.  
Aleo sighs and looks at the fire instead at her. "What do you want me to do? I'm not going to start a conversation with some people I hardly even know."  
"That's how you make friends, you idiot," Zachariah snaps, shifting the glowing red coals in the fire pit around with a charred stick. He glances at Cara as he does so, but Cara doesn't notice, as she's looking at Aleo with an annoyed expression.  
"Yeah, because I'm gonna take friendship advice from you," Aleo growls at him.  
Zachariah looks up, a hint of annoyance in his gaze. "What do you mean by that, you little shit?"  
"Well, it _means_, why would I take advice from an antisocial prick like you?!" Aleo shouts, standing up. The remark is loud enough to turn the heads of several soldiers sitting at the fire a couple of feet behind them.  
Zachariah sets down the stick and stands up with him, anger now evident on his face. It doesn't help him much, though- he's still only a couple of inches taller than Cara. "Listen here, you little bastard. You have no idea what the hell I've been through, so you can just shut your-"  
"And tell us, what exactly _HAVE_ you been through, Zach?! We'd all like to know, I'm sure, because last time I checked, you have it all! You're the son of the most famous soldier that's ever been. You have looks and fame, and whatever you want," Aleo clenches his fists and takes a step closer, "whenever you want!"  
They're now inches from each other's faces. "You're saying you don't?! Let me tell you something, you little snot. Your parents were just as wealthy and famous as mine, so don't you fucking-"  
"But everyone sees me as a _DISAPPOINTMENT_!" Aleo shouts, his temple vein pumping in anger.  
He's interrupted by Cara, yanking Aleo by the collar and shoving him away from Zach. "Will you two stop bickering already? Seriously, I feel like I'm listening to three year olds!"  
"Tell that to him!" Zachariah spits in anger.  
She glares at Zach. "You too, idiot. Now, both of you, quit arguing! This is not the time!"  
Aleo sits down, not making eye contact with either of them. Zachariah glares Aleo, his expression once again indecipherable. He starts to walk back to his tent, turning briefly to shout something at Cara. "What do you even _see_ in him?" He continues to stomp off in a rage, and Cara watches as he yanks back his tent flap and disappears.  
Sighing, Cara sits down. The mood is a little awkward now, courtesy of Zachariah. "Why did you snap at him like that? I don't think you've ever gone off like that before, you know…"  
Aleo really doesn't have any clue himself. In truth, he isn't angry at Zachariah at all. He has no clue what prompted such a spontaneous reaction of anger. "I don't know, Cara. I just..." He sighs and looks at her, but can't continue. He doesn't know what to say now that he's looking into those soft eyes.  
"...You said people saw you as a disappointment. What did you mean by that, exactly?" Cara asks softly. Aleo looks away and blushes, trying to regain his train of thought.  
"People..." he begins, "they always compare me to my father. They expect me to be just like him. To be able to handle a fight when it's brought to me, and know how to think through situations." Aleo sighs and buries his face in his hands. " I never could, and probably never will. No matter how hard I try, I could never live up to him." He stops, throwing his hands and staring at her. "And Zach? He's _just like _his father. He's got the same attitude, the kind that lets you live to see another day. And me? I'll be killed by the first titan I find."  
Cara notices tears starting to well up in Aleo's blue eyes, making something inside of her cringe. They look at each other a while, and Cara gently pats his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "I don't."  
Aleo laughs slightly. "But you didn't even know my father."  
Cara smiles briefly. "I don't need to know your father to know you."  
Aleo blinks. She always knows what to say to make him feel better. Always. "Thanks, Cara. It…" he pauses, and notices how she's hanging onto his every word. "It means a lot. Really." And it does- nobody knows him quite as well as Cara does. They've been there for each other since age seven.  
Aleo suddenly how close Cara is to his face- so close he can smell her breath. It's sweet- it smells a bit like cherry tart. He finds himself blushing and they both turn away at the last second. Aleo coughs awkwardly and stands, suddenly wanting to be away from her a little while. "I think I should go apologize to Zach."  
Cara nods, moving a piece of hair away from her face. "Good idea," she says as he turns and treks towards Zachariah's tent. He doesn't see her turn to watch him walk off, and he doesn't hear her mutter something after him. "I'm proud of you."

—  
"Why can't you take a hint? Get away from me." Growls Zachariah. He's lying down on his cot, on his side. His back is to Aleo.  
"I just want to apologize. I shouldn't have gotten pissed off at you back there, and I'm sorry," Aleo admits, standing near the open tent flap and twiddling his thumbs awkwardly. "I think I'm just a little nervous about the mission, is all."  
"Good for you," Zach says coldly. "Now go away."  
Aleo decides to let things cool down and try again tomorrow. He exits the tent, looking around. Cara isn't at the fire anymore. Thinking about it, he admits he probably wouldn't join her if she was.  
His stomach rumbles, and he decides to grab something to eat before heading to bed. He crosses to a fire pit where a few soldiers are preparing some stew in a cast iron kettle. They salute him quickly when he comes out of the pitch black just beyond the light of the fire. It has to be close to nine now.  
He sits down beside the fire, and a female soldier hands him a bowl of stew. It contains chopped-up pieces of dried beef mixed with a few vegetables, sitting in a brown sludge that barely qualifies as gravy. He smirks and thinks, _'At least the food is familiar out here_'. He eats in silence, listening to the chirp of bugs in the nearby bushes and the murmur of tired soldiers behind him. He looks up- it's a clear night, and the stars are bright and visible. Aleo enjoys this peaceful time while he can.  
After finishing his meal, he bids soldiers around him a good night and heads back to his tent. Entering, he removes his leather boots, and lies down on the cot in his tent.  
His face hits the pillow and he is soon drifting off, exhausted. He manages to forget about tomorrow and slips into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

It's been five days since the battalion had left wall Eliza, and they've made fair progress so far. They are no more than a day away from the war zone. If all is quiet and one strains their ears, it's possible to just make out the faint boom of cannon fire off in the distance.  
Aleo, who is still at the front of the battalion, glances back at the two platoons behind him. He can make out the expressions on a few soldiers riding on a cart not far behind. Three or four look excited and ready to fight, but most look unnerved or anxious, staring at the cart floors, or at the moving surroundings. One soldier bounce his leg up and down rapidly, and another drums his fingers on his knee.  
Aleo's gaze wanders to focus on Zachariah, who is only a few feet away. As usual, his expression is indecipherable. He notices Aleo staring and glowers at him, making Aleo quickly shift his gaze back to the beaten dirt path before them.  
He suddenly hears the sound of upcoming horse hooves hitting the ground and looks to his left. Cara has fallen is beside him.  
Cara can't help but smile at him. Aleo has changed his attitude completely since that first night in camp. He is still anxious, naturally, but he isn't being completely downcast, either. Cara is proud to say he's beginning to act like a real leader, which she always knew he was, deep down. He just needed a bit of a push in the right direction.  
They make eye contact for a brief moment before Aleo blushes and looks away, making Cara blush bright red also. The awkwardness from the night by the fire still hasn't completely faded away.  
Aleo himself really didn't know how he felt about him and Cara. Sure, he had had a crush on her for a while, nearly two years, but so did every other male in camp. She's adorable- big green eyes and fluffy brown hair. Her personality is what Aleo likes, though. She's always strong and he hasn't ever seen her cry, as far as he can remember.  
But Aleo didn't want things to progress between the two of them yet. They were headed for an all-out battle against nearly three hundred titans, after all. Not many soldiers would be coming back, and there was no guarantee that every one of them would make it out alive, despite how much Aleo hoped otherwise. Was there really a reason to strengthen their bond now, only to have one of them killed within a week, tops?  
Aleo sighs in frustration and tries to push the thoughts from his mind, however unsuccessfully. He opens his mouth to break the silence, but is interrupted by a soldier in the back. "_Corporal!_"  
His eyes widen as he looks back at the soldier then up at the sky, where the soldier is pointing. A black trail of smoke spreads across the blue high above. It signifies that one of the scouting groups has spotted a titan, and an aberrant, at that. The smoke leads directly behind Aleo's group. It's close.  
Almost immediately the ground beneath the battalion begins to shake. Big tremors unsettle the horses. They come in sudden, quick bursts. Aleo gasps and looks around, but can't see the source yet of the all-too-familiar feeling. His heart begins to beat faster as he hears a loud pop behind him. Turning, Aleo sees that Zachariah has fired the green smoke round. Of course, leave it to him to remember what to do.  
"_Change course!_" Aleo shouts as other green smoke trails become visible across the sky to either side of him. He urges his horse to a full gallop, hoping against hope that the teams around him have already taken care of the titan. He feel the tremors anymore, but maybe it's just because his horse's pace is making him bump up and down wildly. Despite his thorough training before the expedition, he can't quite get the hang of horseback riding.  
Aleo's heart beats in his ears as the tremors return. They're loud and fast, and Aleo gasps raggedly as he turns. He knows what he will see before he does.  
The aberrant. It's farther away than he originally thought- a few meters. Aleo barely has time to catch his breath before spitting out, "_Soldiers, firearms at the ready!_"  
Each soldier removes their high-powered rifle from side holsters. Aleo removes his own rifle and pulls opens the bolt, then digs around in a leather pouch on his belt. He's too nervous to even think properly. He watches as Cara grabs her rifle with expert skill.  
He turns back- the titan is approaching fast, and running with an awkward limp. Aleo swallows as it comes closer to the group with every second. Two hundred meters. One hundred fifty. One hundred. "_Ready, aim_!" Aleo shouts at the battalion. Even though is voice cracked a little, no one pays any attention to it. Aleo himself is surprised that he can even remember what orders to give, and when.  
All of the soldiers raise their rifles in the direction of the titan, flipping off their safety catches. The titan is now close enough that Aleo can make out the finer details. It's extremely thin, its skeleton easily visible under a layer of skin stretched taught across its bony body. Its head is immensely disproportionate to the rest of its form, nearly three times the size it probably should be. How it can even hold its head up, Aleo doesn't know.  
Aleo's gaze is transfixed upon its face. Its menacing grin match the one in his nightmares- sharp teeth spread wide across its deformed face. Its eyes are locked onto the carts in the middle of Aleo's group. It begins to speed up. Ninety meters. Eighty. Seventy. "_Fire_!" Aleo screams, in as collected a voice as he can muster. The panic in it is still detectable, though once again, no one seems to notice, too busy concentrating on the massive titan before them.  
Almost instantly all noises of the surrounding are blocked out by one loud thunderous roar as the soldiers release lead rain upon the deformed beast. Aleo knows this might not kill it completely- bullets are only any good when fired down the throat. Instead, Aleo hopes to at least slow it down for the reinforcements to catch up to it. The titan lets out a horrifying screeching noise, similar to nails on a chalkboard, only much, much louder.  
As the bullets make contact, steam begins to pour out of the holes like water draining from a sponge. Aleo cycles the bolt, ejecting a smoking empty shell casing and clambering for a fresh round. He pulls the trigger again, aiming at the cloud of steam, and the others do the same. In an instant, everyone has cycled the bolts once more and Aleo calls the battalion to a halt several hundred meters away from their original spot.  
He addresses the soldiers. "All of you, protect the carts and keep an eye out for any other titans." Aleo hops off of his horse and runs towards the titan, rifle in hand. His maneuver gear clangs around his thighs, somewhat calming Aleo. He still has his maneuver gear.  
By the time he's reached five meters within reach of the titan, he checks to make sure his rifle has a fresh round cambered. Seeing it does, he plants it firmly against his shoulder and begins to slowly step towards the titan, which he can see writhing on the ground. He was right, it's not dead, but another bullet can easily remedy that.  
Suddenly, Aleo's eyes water and he begins to gag. He looks up to find the problem- the titan's entire stomach contents has been dumped out onto the ground when it was shot open, a mix of human flesh and blood.  
His foot slides in something and he glances at the ground. Beneath is foot is a green cape, with two crossed wings sewn onto the back. It's soaked in blood. He doesn't want to think of who it belonged to.  
The titan is slowly beginning to regenerate, the holes closing and muscle tissue reforming, providing it with limited mobility. The stench of iron and flesh is overwhelming. More steam envelopes the area around the titan, making it difficult to see.  
Aleo pulls out a bandana from his coat pocket, tying it around his mouth and nose. The steam finally clears completely. Aleo watches as the titan slowly turns its twitching head towards him. It inches forward, crawling, its jaw straining open as it tries to devour him. Aleo takes the opportunity and aims his rifle down its throat, lining up the iron sights with the back of its throat. His finger curls around the silver trigger as he inhales. He squints, and squeezes the trigger.  
The loud sound booms through the landscape, it seems. But the bullet does its job, and tears open the weak point with ease. The titan is finally defeated. Its flesh almost immediately begins to sizzle and hiss, dissolving away in the sunlight.  
He wastes no time in sprinting back towards the battalion, putting as much distance between himself and the steaming corpse as possible. The second he reaches the battalion, he is greeted by a slightly frantic Cara.  
"Aleo!" She has him climb off his horse and looks him over. "Are you okay?" She asks, the concern in her voice palpable.  
He nods. "Yeah, I'm fine."  
"You idiot, don't go alone! You…" She pauses, catching him off guard by throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "You scared me!"  
His cheeks flush red when he sees the whole battalion staring. Then he catches Zachariah's gaze. Aleo's blood runs cold. Zach's glare is his usual emotionless look, but the way his eyebrows slant downwards slightly reveals a hint of jealousy. Aleo quickly dismisses it and clears his throat. "Uh, w-we should probably get going."  
Cara gasps and quickly releases Aleo. "Right. I'm sorry." She stutters.  
They both climb onto their horses. "_Battalion, move out_," Aleo commands. As the battalion heads deeper into titan territory, he hears a few soldiers whispering, probably about him and Cara. He does his best to ignore it. He's got bigger things to worry about than petty gossip. '_Like how the hell I'm going to get the both of us out of this fight alive_.' 

October 20th, 955

_ Things are getting tense within the battalion. I can hear the soldiers muttering darkly amongst themselves outside by the campfires. I'd probably be do the same if I were in their position. And the lack of alcohol isn't helping. We encountered our first titan today. It was alone, easy enough to take down with only two waves of fire from out rifles. I fired the killing shot after we had put enough distance between it and us. So, I didn't die with my first encounter with a titan. Hurray for me.  
But, Cara. I can't seem to get her off my mind. I mean, I know I've had a crush on her for a while now, but I feel like its moved past that and turned into something more. But that's not my main concern.  
After I killed the titan, she gave me probably the biggest hug I've ever received. Don't get me wrong, I'm completely grateful to have gotten such a display of affection from her. But it's causing tension between Zachariah and I.  
It seems to me that he has a crush on her, as well. Are we suddenly competing for Cara? Well, not really competing. I'm sure if it were an active competition he would have won in the first dice minutes. It's more like a bitter emotional struggle. Kind of. Top that off with the fact that he hates my guts, it's creating a mixture of emotional chemicals bound to go off. What _does _Cara see in me, anyway?  
The last thing this Battalion needs is for our best solider to go absolutely insane, which I suspect he might do if things don't go his way. And me? I have no idea what I'm supposed to do...  
God, I need some whiskey. _

_~Aleo Fletcher _

__Aleo sets his journal down on the grassy floor of his tent next to his cot. He let his arm hang off the side of the bed after letting it fall from his hand, staring at the ceiling. He can hear the hisses and pops of the fires and several soldiers talking not too far away from his tent.  
Bits of the conversation register in Aleo's ear.  
"The Corporal_..._"  
"Girlfriend_…_"  
"Not fit to be leader..."  
He sighs and tries to block out the words by covering his head with his pillow. It does little to muffle their words of doubt. He tosses it across the tent with a sigh. 'I _need to get away from here_,' he thinks, grabbing his green cape from the tent floor and slipping it on. He grabs a lantern from off the wooden light post outside tent and tries to slip away without anyone noticing.  
Of course, just as he's sure he's made it far enough away where he can light the lamp without being seen, he hears muffled footsteps approaching behind him. '_Oh_ _son of a..._'  
"Aleo, where are you going?" He hears Cara ask as she walks up next to him.  
"For a walk," says Aleo simply, digging around in his pocket for a box of matches to light the lamp wick with.  
"Are you okay?" Cara asks, as he knew she would. She knows how Aleo has always been scared of the dark, so it confuses her as to why he would be going out alone at night.  
"I'm fine," he mumbles, trying to avoid the topic.  
"Well, you've been acting a little weird ever since the titan…" She places her hand gently on Aleo's shoulder, only to have him smack it away.  
"I said I'm _fine_," he spits out through clenched teeth.  
Instead of being hurt, like most girls, Cara only glares at him. "What's gotten _into_ you?" she asks, feeling worried yet a little angry at how her best friend is lashing out.  
"It's none of your business," Aleo fires back, sounding much more harsh than he intended. Before Cara can respond, he's darted off into the dark.  
Cara hears someone approaching and looks over her shoulder. Zachariah is standing a few feet back, his hood up, shielding his face in darkness. "I still don't get what you see in him." His hands are shoved into his pockets.  
Cara sighs and looks forward again, watching Aleo's silhouette dissolve into the distant night.

Aleo is running rough the ankle high grasses, and doesn't slow down until he is far away from the encampment. Once he's sure no one, Cara or anyone else, has followed him, he falls to his knees.  
All of the stress of the mission, the ordeal between him and Cara, and years of pent up remorse over his parent's deaths, comes pouring out. Tears are freely flowing now. He makes no attempt to stop them. It's the first time in years he's ever openly sobbed, and as much as he doesn't want to admit it, he needs it.  
Aleo looks up at the sky, tears trailing down his face, and he shouts, "What do you want from me!? Do you want me and all of my friends to die, you sick bastard?!" He pounds his fist onto the ground. "Do you want Cara to die!?"  
All he receives in response is the swish of wind softly blowing through the grasses all around him.


	5. Chapter 5

Aleo's throat burns. Each breath he takes is like a match going down his dry throat. He tries to breath slowly through his nose, to let the frigid air warm a bit before entering his lungs, but it's in vain. The weather is much colder than it was when they set out. Even if the team could have predicted this cold weather, it's likely that they still would have gone. They are the supply troop, after all.  
He wraps his coat tightly around his body as the battalion continues to ride up the sloping mountain path. High above, the dreary grey clouds threaten to unleash a volley of snow upon the large number of troops. He knows that it will begin to snow sooner or later, the probability increasing the higher up the mountainside they go. They're about to the rendezvous point now. Aleo hopes to make it there by midday but the weather is probably going to hold them back. Chilling gusts of early winter wind cut through everyone's uniform coats like hot knives through butter. Aleo can feel his entire body trembling as his muscles shiver in an attempt to warm his blood. A powerful burst of wind blows his hood off of his head. He curses under his breath and pulls it back on. 'We _won't be able to go much further in this weather_,' Aleo thinks to himself. _'If I don't get everyone to a sheltered area, they'll get hypothermia or something_.'  
Glancing up at the bleak sky again, Aleo notices a dense forest of evergreens up ahead. He smiles. '_Protection from the wind,_' he notes to himself.  
As soon as the battalion has entered the forest, Aleo calls them to a halt, hopping off of his horse. "Dismount!" The soldiers climb off of horses and supply carts, eager to stretch their cramped legs. Some begin chatting as they approach Aleo for orders.  
"Alright men, there's no way we're going to be able to cross the mountains in these conditions. This forest can shield us from the wind until the weather gets a bit better. I'd like one of you to shoot off two green smoke rounds, to signal the other groups we'll be staying here for the night, and maybe tomorrow, too."  
Two soldiers salute him and reach for their waist. They each pull out a smoke gun, and load the green smoke round into them. Aleo nods as they raise their guns to the sky, turning his attention back to Alpha company. "I want you all to set up tents and start some fires with wood from one of our carts. Try to get some food heated up." The pop of the two guns suddenly sound throughout the forest, and Aleo watches as the colored smoke soars above the treetops. He wants to sigh, but the pain from the coldness of the air prevents it. Instead, he turns to the rest of his small group, Bravo company. "You all are in charge of gathering as much firewood as you can muster, and feeding the horses. There are axes in the carts, you can use them. We'll need to keep the fires high all throughout the night. Check the surrounding woods for anything you can burn."  
Each company soon gets to work. One advantage of the cold weather is that everyone is working as hard as they can to warm up their frozen bodies, and Aleo is no exception. He grabs an armful of canvas and tent packs, looking for a relatively good spot to set up both his tent and several others as well. Finding one, he strides over and gets to work.  
As he tries his best to hammer in the stakes of his tent, using an old hammer another soldier handed to him earlier, a soft crunching noise reaches his cold ears. He looks over his shoulder and is surprised to see Zachariah, who is carrying a few bundles of firewood. "Where did you want these to go, _sir_?" He's glaring at Aleo with a hint of malice.  
Aleo finds he's getting better at seeing though Zach's usually emotionless mask, however slightly. He points over to the large fires being built in the center of the encampment. "Over there would be fine," he says, returning to hammering in the stakes.  
Zach only grunts and heads to drop off the firewood. Aleo hears him mumbling something indiscernible as he walks away. He rolls his eyes and begins to pound another stake into the rock hard earth. Once he finishes the stake and reaches for another, he hears a shy voice behind him. "Um sir? Wouldn't you like some help?" He glances over his shoulder and sees the brunette soldier from a few nights before, after the whole socializing incident. Veronica, if he remembers correctly.  
He smiles, shaking his head. "No, thank you. I've got it." As he hammers in the second to last stake, he realizes he's misplaced the nail. Frowning, he turns the hammer around and stats to pry the nail out. The sharp tines suddenly slice across his thumb as the nail finally pops out. He muffles a gasp and grits his teeth, looking over the wound. Blood is starting to form, and the cold weather stings it. "Are you kidding me?" he mutters.  
Veronica gasps up from behind him. "Oh, are you okay?" There's a bit of worry in her voice, and she leans over his shoulder to see the cut.  
Aleo grunts in reply. "Yeah, it's fine. Can you get some bandages?"  
"Right away, sir!" She stutters, and darts off to the supply carts. She comes back a few moments later with a small wooden box. She opens it, revealing bandages and other first-aid equipment. Aleo goes to reach for a bandage but Veronica stops him. "Um, it probably wouldn't be good for you to get your blood all over the bandages, sir." She pulls out a roll of cotton bandages. "Here, let me help you."  
She takes his injured hand in hers, and Aleo sees her hands shake slightly. He gets a little uncomfortable and decides to sum up the shaking to the cold in the air. As she wraps the bandages around his hand, he looks around the camp. Many soldiers have lit the fires and are piling the saved wood on. Most of Bravo company is emerging from the forest, carrying arm-loads of wood and branches. About a dozen or so tents are set up, and more are in the process of being raised.  
His eyes land on Cara, who is watching him and Veronica intently from beside her tent. It's hard for him to make out her expression from across camp, yet he can tell by the way she's fitting slightly that she's probably agitated about something. "There," says Veronica, letting go of Aleo's hand.  
"Thank you," Aleo says watching as blood begins to dampen the clean white cloth.  
"You're welcome, sir! It's my job as a medic, anyway." She says modestly, placing the bandages back in the wooden box. She then heads off to see if any other soldiers need her help in some way.  
Aleo finishes hammering the stakes after a while, careful not to let the hammer slip this time. As soon as he finishes, he sees Cara walk over to his tent.  
"What happened?" She motions to his bandaged hand.  
"Oh, I cut myself with the end of the hammer," he says, a bit embarrassed to be confessing something so stupid on his part to her.  
She makes a scolding sound with her mouth. "Aleo, what did I tell you about cutting yourself?" Her quips always cheer him up, even with the battalion heading into a war field soon. Even with the probability of death lingering over the mountains.  
Laughing, Aleo decides to play along. "I believe it was something along the lines of 'don't be such an emotional prick, Aleo. It's bad enough you leave your window open when you're having fun alone'."  
"Which you really need to remember to do. Someone is going to see you and report you one of these days," Cara says, wearing a deceivingly innocent smile.  
"If we survive the upcoming battle, that is," He rolls his eyes. "It's a good thing that these tents don't have windows. I'd be in big trouble, then."  
Cara giggles. She punches him lightly in the arm. "At least everyone would know why your right arm is a lot stronger than your left."  
Aleo shrugs. "I'll come up with some excuse."  
The aroma of cooking meat drifts through the air. Once it catches Aleo's attention, his head turns in the direction of the scent. As soon as his eyes make contact with the big iron pot that's full of steaming hot stew, he's up and walking towards it with a large grin plastered on his face. Cara scoffs at Aleo's ridiculous expression. "You idiot," is all she says before following him over.  
A soldier hands each of them a bowl of stew, which Aleo wolfs down hungrily. It's got practically no flavor at all, but he doesn't care. It feels good to have something warm inside his stomach. As soon as he swallows the last bite, he sits down on a crate and sighs. "Sweet _Maria_, that was good,"  
Cars only rolls her eyes. "You say that about anything you eat."  
"Hey," he says defensively, "I didn't with the food at training."  
"Actually you did," says Cara, finishing her stew as well.  
"I did?" She nods. "Yeah, the day after the maneuver gear evaluation I think."  
He blinks. "Oh."  
"Well anyways, will we be moving on tomorrow?" Cara asks, taking his bowl from his hands.  
"Possibly, if the weather gets better. I don't want to expose the soldiers to frost bite, or have the supplies freeze."

But the weather isn't any better then next day. In fact, it's worse than before. Snow begins to fall while Aleo and Cara are getting breakfast. As Aleo sips on a cup of steaming black coffee, he glares up at the sky. He can't believe it's snowing so early in the month already. "Son of a..."  
He's cut off by Zachariah, who approaches them from behind. "Hey, _Corporal_," he grunts, "the battalion is almost out of firewood. You should probably have some people go get more unless you want us to freeze to death."  
Aleo nods and turns to Cara. "Could you go have Alpha company do that?"  
"Of course," she says brightly. Then she pauses. "Wait. I'm not the corporal, here. I'm just a private, would they even listen to me?"  
"They've seen you bitch slap Aleo multiple times. I'm sure they won't question you." Zachariah comments.  
Aleo rubs his cheek, feeling it tingle as he remembers all of those painful backhand slaps. Cara grins at him before heading off.  
Aleo stands up and stretches, forcing his arms up to the sky. Several vertebrae pop and crack as he leans from side to side. "Zach, you haven't talked much lately. Is something bothering you?"  
He gives Aleo a blank look. "I never talk much, period."  
Aleo chuckles. "Well, that's true. But it's like you've gone from silent to..."  
Zachariah rolls his eyes, not wanting him to finish his sentence. "There's nothing wrong with me, except for the fact that there's a nosy rodent trying to get into my business."  
Aleo snaps his fingers playfully. "Aha, so something _is_ bothering you!"  
Zach only sighs. Aleo knows it probably hurts his lungs to do so. A puff of white breath escapes his lips. "Aside from you? Not really."  
"Come on! We're family, bro. You can tell me if something is bothering you."  
Fed up with the questions, Zachariah clenches his fists, taking a step towards Aleo. "Seriously, you're so annoying! Why can't you just shut up and mind your own damn business! I already told you I don't want to-"  
He's cut off when Cara returns, bouncing lightly across the fallen snow. "Aleo, I sent out Alpha company, so they should- Zach, what are you doing?" She walks around to look Zach in the face, placing herself in front of Aleo.  
"I was just-" Zach stammers for an answer, but ultimately gives up and shoves his fists into his pockets. "Nothing." He lowers his head, letting his hair cover his eyes. "Nothing." He repeats.  
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" She asks, glancing over her shoulder at Aleo.  
"No, he didn't." Aleo says, raising his hand to pat her on the shoulder. "You should take it easy, we're fine."  
She sighs, brushing his hand off. She turns back to Zach. "Don't you have any idea how much _work_ it takes to patch this guy up? You guys know I'm totally not into work."  
Having already given up on defending himself, Zach just nods. Cara speaks again. Her voice softens. "I think maybe you should get out of here for a little bit. You look tense."  
Zachariah just exhales slowly, still nodding, and turns away. He walks off into the forest, ducking his head and hunching his shoulders. His maneuver gear glints in the fire's light as he passes.  
"Are you sure he didn't hurt you?" She asks, turning around to face him.  
"Yeah, I'm sure," Aleo says, looking into her face. She's obviously worried, more than Aleo is willing to admit. He doesn't want to face the fact that Cara could be the least bit worried over him. "Weren't you a bit harsh?"  
"He was about to knock you out, Aleo. He could easily split your lip if he wanted."  
"Yeah, but he didn't want to! He just-" Several soldiers are listening in to their conversation now. "Besides, it's not like he's actually going to hit me. I can name at least ten times when he's threatened, and not once did he actually attack me. It's really fine, he's harmless."  
Wrong thing to say. Definitely the wrong thing to say.  
Cara only blinks at him. "Ten times? Since when did you guys hate each other?"  
"We don't! It's just.." Aleo sighs. "It's complicated." Seeing her face, he quickly leaps to explain. "But, really though, Cara! It's fine."  
Cara sighs. "He did look like he needed some time alone, though."  
"He has alone time all the time."  
Cara rolls her eyes, dismissing the whole thing. "Whatever."  
"I'm heading back, then."  
Cara just nods, not really caring where he goes for now. She seems troubled. "Okay."  
Aleo wastes no time in entering his tent. As soon as he zips up the flap, he gently lies down on his cot. His mind starts to travel towards Zachariah.  
Zachariah Rivaille, one of the toughest soldiers in the entire Recon Corps. Son of the legendary Levi Rivaille. The soldier who supposedly killed his first titan when he was only thirteen. He never shows any emotion. And, now as Aleo thinks about it, things never go his way. Aleo remembers being at both his uncle's and aunt's funeral, but strangely enough, he can't really seem to remember what happened to Zach after his mother's funeral.  
Sighing, he knows he's over-analyzing this silly situation. Still, though, he can't stop. He turns his thoughts to Cara's reaction. She was so concerned for his safety. He thinks about how she treated Zach, too. Like he was a small child. It made him a tad uncomfortable, actually. Why did she have to go and interfere? Zach probably wasn't going to hit him, was he? And even if he was, Aleo could defend himself!  
Finally, he shakes his head violently back and forth. _'No more thinking like that_.'  
He turns over in his cot and closes his eyes. _'I just need some sleep_.' He drifts off into the realm of unconsciousness, hoping for a dreamless sleep to put him at ease.

He wakes up later, though he's not sure how much later, to screaming and violent shaking. Sitting up, sweat covering his forehead and sheets, he realizes the screams are his own. He tries to blink into reality, seeing Cara at his side, jostling him into consciousness. "Wake up!"  
All of his tensed muscles relax slowly. "Oh. It's just you," he breathes.  
"Really, again? 'Oh' is all you've got to say?" she asks, teasing him. Also laughs, but his weak smile is melted away by the next few words. "Are you alright?" He detects a hint of worry in her voice.  
"I'm fine. Just a nightmare," he replies, not wanting to tell her he's had others just like it. It's the same one he had before leaving for the mission.  
"Titans?" She guesses, sitting down next to him.  
He just swallows, avoiding her gaze. "It's not hard to tell, huh."  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Cara puts a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. It does help to quiet his racing heart a bit. He shakes his head.  
"It's just my paranoia, not a big deal." When he's done speaking, a silence envelopes the small space of the tent. He reaches a decision, standing and walking to the entrance of the tent. "Is Zach back yet?"  
Her eyebrows arch at his name. "I haven't heard anything about that."  
Aleo nods grimly. He expected as much. Grabbing his green cape from the floor, he heads out. Cara follows closely behind as he adjusts his maneuver gear belts. "It's gonna get dark soon. If he's not back before sundown he'll freeze to death."  
As if on cue a light flurry begins to fall from the dark clouds hanging overhead of the forest. Aleo takes note of the thin layer of snow covering the ground. He realizes he probably slept about two hours, and there's maybe an hour or two of daytime left. His face hardens. "I'm going to go look for him."  
"In this weather?" Cara asks, her head snapping from the sky to his face. She follows him to the supply cart, where he equips himself with a rifle and a leather pouch full of ammo. He doesn't think he'll need it, but it can't hurt. He clips the pouch onto his belt and slings the rifle over his shoulder.  
"No choice," he says, grabbing a small first aid kit, a box of matches, and a flare gun along with three red smoke rounds.  
"Yes, there is!" She insists, stepping closer. "Send a private, or even a team."  
He shrugs. "I was going to, but then I figured he wouldn't want to talk to them," he says, motioning to two random privates a few dozen yards away. "Plus, I don't think I want to be responsible for any more deaths than necessary."  
She sighs in frustration, pressing her hands against his chest. "What about your life?"  
"Cara, I know you're mad at him from earlier, but try to understand that he's my family. He could be freezing to death under some tree right now while we stand here debating this."  
"I'm not mad! I just-" She looks around frantically for the end of her sentence, her breath forming small puffs in the air. He blinks, unsure of what she wants to say. She looks up at him, and he swears mentally as she does so. Her green eyes are watering. Is she really going to cry? She pulls him into a gentle hug, burying her face into his chest. "I just don't want you to die. Sorry."  
His face burns bright red as he returns the embrace. It's cute how she thinks she's bothering him. "I won't die, Cara. I promise I'll be back before sundown, with or without Zach, okay?"  
She sniffles a little and lets him go. "Alright," she finally says, almost in a whisper. She hugs herself and watches him go, the faint sun slowly lowering itself over the far away horizon.  
He heads out, his feet making the snow beneath them crunch audibly as he treks though the forest. He notices a deer trail, and does his best to keep his eyes on it. It harbors faint boot prints, which Aleo hopes are Zachariah's.  
After about half an hour, Aleo realizes the snow has begun to fall a bit thicker. Now no grass is even visible due to the layer of snow covering it. A few more minutes and Aleo has to head back to camp, like he promised. He knows Cara is probably very worried. But another part of him wants to continue onwards. But if he stays out here, he really could die. And if he dies, no one but Cara would be able to run the battalion, at least not efficiently. And that's a big responsibility to place on a girl like her so suddenly. That in itself will lead to more casualties out in the forest they're headed too. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he knows it's worth letting Zachariah die out here to save a few hundred trapped soldiers.  
"Ten more minutes, and then I head back," Aleo mutters, shifting his rifle from his left hand to his right, the cold metal making him shiver.  
"You're wasting you're time out here," comes a low voice from his left. Turning, Aleo sees a figure sitting on a large rock a few feet away. While he can't see the figure's face because of the green hood, he knows it's Zachariah. It has to be, no one else would be out here, and equipped with maneuver gear alone. "Head back already. I'm getting a bit bored of watching you get lost out here."  
"Zach, you should just come back with me,"  
A scoff comes in return. "Why? Cara treats me like some kind of pet. She obviously doesn't care if I stay or go, as long as you're fine."  
"Why does it matter what she thinks of you? Last time I checked, you didn't care what anyone thought of you." Aleo comments.  
"Shut up," grumbles Zach. "If you don't get it by now, you never will, you idiot."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"None of your god-damned _business_, like this morning!" Zach spits.  
Aleo jumps a bit in response. "Fine. God." He shifts his bag uncomfortably on his shoulders. "In any case, we should head back. It'll be dark before long," He looks up at the sky, where the snow is falling gently, thickly. "Besides, it's gonna snow hard soon."  
Zachariah's head tilts upwards, making his hood fall back. Aleo watches as Zach stares at the sky. He has a sort of hate in his eyes, mixed with fear and confusion. It's hard to actually pinpoint the exact emotion, like always. "Well, shit," he grumbles, before stepping back underneath the large tree.  
"Are you alright?"  
"Nothing. It's whatever." Zach mutters. But Aleo sees that it's not just "whatever". Zachariah is obviously tense about something.  
"It's just snow. Not gonna kill you."  
"Try telling my father that," Zach replies sharply, pressing his back against the tree trunk. He shoves his hands in his pockets and looks down again, letting the hood conceal his face once more.  
"Who, Levi? I thought he died while he was on a mission outside the walls. That's what everyone's _saying_ happened, at least."  
"He did," Zach mutters. "Snow blinded him. Couldn't see that damned titan."  
"Sorry to hear that." At least he knows the truth now. Although it seems odd that the legendary Levi Rivaille died from a simple titan attack. Maybe it wasn't a simple titan, though?  
"You were at the funeral," Zach says, annoyed.  
Aleo counters. "How old was I again?"  
Zach just laughs darkly. "Old as I was, and I remember. So no excuses."  
"Anyway, unless you want to freeze to death out here, you need to come back with me. We'll barely make it before nightfall as it is."  
Zach growls but reluctantly comes out from under the tree. Aleo begins to follow the trail back to camp and he follows. "So..." Aleo begins, trying to break the silence. "Why'd you bring your maneuver gear? You know the gas becomes useless once it's exposed to cold weather, right?"  
Zach looks at the metal devices on his hips. "Hm."  
Aleo raises his eyebrows. "You didn't know that?" Zachariah's silence is enough of an answer, to which Aleo smiles. "Wow, I actually knew something that you didn't."  
"A first," Zach mumbles, his chin buried in his black scarf. Looking closely at it, it doesn't appear to be a Survey Corps uniform item. Dismissing the thought, they continue on in silence for a little while before Aleo breaks it again.  
"I'm sorry that you think Cara treats you like that."  
Zach's expression doesn't change in the least, it just remains blank. "It must make you feel good." He grimaces. "And I don't think, I know."  
Aleo stops. "What do you mean by that?"  
Zach halts, too. "I mean, _corporal_, that you win. Cara obviously loves you and couldn't give two shits about me."  
"Don't say that. You know-"  
"Why should I not say that? It's true. And this whole thing is a waste, all of it. I shouldn't even be here!"  
"What, on the mission?"  
"In the military! I shouldn't be in the Survey Corps at all!" He shouts. "You always talked about how you wanted to join the Survey Corps when you were a kid, always! And Cara always said she'd go with you. Do you even know why I joined? Take a wild guess, just guess. For her. I love her, you ignorant shit! Love! Do you know what that is? I joined to show her that I really care about her, and then you just take her away from me without even giving me a chance!" Zach shoves his hands deeper into his pockets. Aleo only stutters, trying to come up with anything to respond. Zach holds up his hand. "No. Don't speak. You'll just be wasting air." Aleo shuts his mouth as Zach continues. "As soon as this mission is over, I am going to leave the walls and head off on my own. Maybe out there life won't be such a bitch."  
He walks off without another word. Aleo stands there for a moment before following a few yards behind to give Zach some space. He probably needs it, and just then he thinks back to Cara's words to him. "I think maybe you should get out of here for a little bit. You look tense." The words ring in his ears.  
It seems like forever until the two make it back to the encampment. They haven't spoken the whole time back. He searches for Cara, but he doesn't really need to, as he immediately finds him upon entering.  
"Did you find Zach?" Aleo points to Zach, who is slipping into his tent a few feet away.  
"Yeah, I found him."  
"Is everything alright?"  
Aleo just sighs. "I think you should apologize and give him some space for a while. He's…" Aleo pauses, and looks at her boots instead of at her. "He's upset about some things." He finishes.  
Cara looks back at Zach's tent and sighs. "I'll apologize tomorrow morning, I guess." Aleo nods.  
"Anyways, I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight." He walks off to his tent as the small "night" from Cara follows him. Once he's inside his own tent, he removes his bag and throws it onto the floor. He takes off his Survey Corps cape and drapes it over his bag.  
He looks at the white and black wings in doubt, gently kneeling and stroking the patchwork. Sighing, he climbs up onto his cot, curling up underneath the blankets.  
He couldn't sleep that night.


	6. Chapter 6

_October 22nd, 955_

_ The battalion is going to reach the Forest of Tall Trees today. The thought of all of those titans waiting is making me shudder. When I woke up this morning, I found a note in my tent. It said that due to the extremely low temperatures, we lost some of our equipment to permafrost, as well as an eighth of our dried food- both in the replacement supplies and the ones for my own battalion. Hopefully we will have enough to make it out of the forest, because I doubt we will stick around to fight for long._

_~Aleo Fletcher_

Aleo stuffs the notebook into his knapsack which lies on the floor. Slipping on his boots, his mind begins to wander towards the battlefield. He's willing to do anything to put off having to head towards the forest. But he knows as well as anyone he's going to be there sooner or later. Sighing, he pushes back the tent flap, shouldering his bag.  
Looking out, he sees several soldiers are busy taking down tents and preparing for the journey ahead. One soldier walks by him, carrying a large shovel. Aleo follows him with his eyes and watches him begin to dig snow out from underneath the wheels of one of the carts. "What's your name, soldier?"  
The man looks up. He's got dark eyes and a friendly face. He smiles, pausing, before answering. "Evan, sir."  
"Good job, Evan." Aleo knows it's not much, but he wants to try his best to boost morale before the trip. Evan nods and returns to his work, and Aleo walks off to find Cara. She's not hard to find. Her voice is like a bell to him, with its own unique sound. It reaches him from across the camp, and, following it, he can soon see her conversing with the medic who patched his hand up before.  
He approaches her from behind, but can't eavesdrop because Cara notices him. "You finally decided to wake up?" She asks, waving at Veronica, who nods and walks away.  
He shrugs. "I wasn't really to enthusiastic about getting the day started."  
"I can't say I blame you." Her eyes have a sympathetic look, and Aleo doesn't like it. He looks away.  
"Did the horses make it through the night alright?"  
"Nipped by the cold a bit. Otherwise they'll be fine."  
A small soldier approaches them with a wooden bowl of some time of soup. "Sir," he begins, but can't salute Aleo because his hands are full. Aleo nods, and the soldier continues. "We didn't know when you'd be waking up, but we made this." He holds the bowl towards him.  
Aleo smiles and takes the bowl. "Thank you, solider."  
The soldier, hands now free, gives him a quick salute and hurries away. Why did all of the soldiers seem scared of him? Aleo shrugs, dismissing the thought.  
Cara watches him with a curious look before speaking. "How long do you think it will take to make it to the forest?"  
"I wouldn't expect it to be more than a few hours." Aleo replies, sipping on a spoonful of soup. It's mushroom soup, he realizes, but gulps it down anyway.  
"Are you alright?" Cara suddenly asks. Aleo looks up to see green eyes tinted with worry. She blushes at his immediate attention, and evades. "Sorry, you just seemed a bit tense."  
He swallows another bite of food forcefully, having lost his appetite suddenly. Was it so obvious? "I'm alright." He hands the rest of the food to her. "You want the rest of this?"  
"I already ate," she says.  
He sighs and hands the bowl to a passing soldier. "To the horses," Aleo says, and the soldier nods and takes the bowl in that direction. "Let's pack up our stuff and get moving. No sense in putting it off," Aleo says, speaking his thought from before aloud.  
He looks up, but surprisingly, Cara isn't there. He jostles the heavy bag on his shoulder, glancing at the spot where his tent was. A soldier must have taken it down. He turns his gaze up at the sky and, after a while, closes his eyes. He only sighs.

Aleo feels a bit better once he's on his horse again. A feeling of a strange pride envelops him. Empowerment. Though he can't say where it's coming from, he's grateful for it. The feeling calms him.  
He looks back at his group. The others branched off long ago, and once again Aleo is worrying about their safety. He reassures himself by remembering the star formation is the safest way to travel during missions. Not having anything else to occupy him, Aleo begins to day dream of the past. His father, mainly. And what he had discovered about titans before him.  
Oxytocin, the love chemical, was key in all of this, really. This chemical, when present in large amounts, basically would reverse the behavior of a normal titan. Aleo's father himself had tested the river running through the walls. It was confirmed that it had high levels of oxytocin in it, but nobody knows where from. This discovery led to a logical yet scorned modern theory, stating that humans had basically evolved from titans drinking this river water after hundreds of years. Titan numbers decreased as human population increased, and then some thousand odd years later, humanity was attacked by titans which had reemerged from an unknown location. None of those inside the walls accepts this theory, stating so blatantly that they were nothing more than thinking, miniature titans. Only a few titled scholars actually accepted the theory as logical.  
Snapping himself from his daze, Aleo glances back again. Cara is alert, sitting with excellent posture despite the crushing mental weight of heading into battle. Zachariah, as always, is grim. His mouth is set in its ever-present scowl. He turns back around. It is chilly, but pleasantly so. It's not snowing, but windy. Any frost in the grass from field ahead is soon stomped into nothing by the hooves of the horses.

The rhythmic beating of his heart in his ears is interrupted by a faint, urgent pop in the distance. Sudden dread captivates his very soul, and his blood surges cold. He looks to the right and sees a red smoke trail leave its mark in the sky. Knowing what has to be done, he glances at Cara. She nods once and immediately removes the green smoke round, loading it into her gun. She raises her arm and the same loud pop responds to the one to the right. Soon the sky is filled with confirmations. "We're heading into the thick of it," Aleo says to himself, and then, "Change course!" to the battalion.  
He starts to veer his horse to the left, but two more faint pops make Aleo catch his breath. Looking up, he can feel his confidence melt away. A black smoke round has been fired to the left of his team, and a red one behind. Fear grabs at Aleo's throat, threatening to make him scream.  
"_We're being closed in_!" Aleo thinks frantically. He whips around to look at his crew for any suggestions. He only receives the cold glare of Zachariah and the worried expression of Cara.  
"Corporal," she says. "Advance?"  
Aleo gulps, and after a bit he nods. "Fire the green round. We'll keep advancing this way, to the forest." Cara nods and does as she's asked. The deafening crack from the smoke gun accompanies the ferocious pounding of horse hooves as Aleo leads his group to the forest on their original path. They're all traveling at top speed, and Aleo tries to ignore the thunderous tremors that shake the ground now. He can't tell if they're coming from the right or left, or even behind him. Hoping for relief, he suddenly sees the trees on the other side of the slope they've been traveling on for some time. A forest hasn't ever looked more welcoming.  
Cold as it is, Aleo's breathing is still ragged, and his lips and chest hurt from the frigid nip. Just a bit further, and they'll be safely inside the forest. A bit further, and Aleo will have kept his group safe. The tremors become louder and closer.  
"Corporal?" Aleo recognizes the female voice, but can't bear to turn to look at its owner. If he so much as glances, Aleo is scared he'll break under pressure. He faces forward, focusing intensely on the trees as the group nears them. "Corporal!" Comes the same voice.  
Aleo sighs, giving up on resisting, and twists his head to look at Cara. But his eyes don't fall on Cara. They fall on a figure on horseback, riding to meet them. As he nears, Aleo sees it's Evan, the boy from earlier. That's not all Aleo notices. He also looks up to gaze at a titan following Evan, and Aleo has flashbacks of his nightmares. The titan is advancing, and any second could be the soldier's last.  
"Zachariah!" Aleo barks, but Zachariah is already on the move, away from the group and towards Evan. His horse, with its shining black coat, is steered expertly between the carts and eventually Zachariah is on his way to relieve Evan. Aleo knows this move is dangerous, but he assures himself that Zach is the best soldier for the job. He watches as Zachariah shoots past Evan with blinding speed, distracting the titan. This gives Evan a chance to finally catch up with the group, and Aleo desperately signals him over. "Evan! Are you alright?"  
He sees Evan is not, in fact, alright. His right sleeve has a large blood stain on it, and his head is bandaged poorly. Blood drips from underneath the white fabric. "Corporal, the left flank-" he's seized by a fit of coughing, making Cara gasp. After a while, Evan looks up with burning eyes. "The left flank has been wiped out!"  
The words echo in Aleo's ears as Zachariah jumps from his horse, sending his cords into the left shoulder of the oncoming titan. He releases gas, and soon he's pivoting around the titan, despite its size. The image of Zachariah in action can't be erased from Aleo's mind as he watches him spin up, preparing for the final blow. Zach is pushed downwards by his gas, gaining speed every second. The blades glint, and time slows as he slices the titan's neck out. The titan's blood gushes, but Zachariah remains unscathed as he maneuvers his way back to the ground.  
"Corporal! The left flank has been terminated!" T  
Aleo is shaken back to the situation at hand. "Yes! Yes, soldier." The words still don't have the full effect on him, and all he wants to focus on is the forest, which is less than a few meters away by now. "I understand."  
Cara only looks in disbelief at Aleo's calm reaction as Zachariah rides up again. He places himself in his previous position like nothing has even happened. He receives many words of awe, but dismisses them immediately with a grunt of annoyance. Zach had never been one to accept compliments without suspecting another intent.  
The group is upon the forest now. A few more feet, and they'll be inside. The midday sun hides behind the clouds, making everything a bit dark for a few moments. The cold is still ever-present. But none of that stays with Aleo as his horse crosses the invisible barrier between the field and the forest. What does is Cara's words, which he manages to hear above the solid thumping of hooves.  
"Are you okay?"


End file.
